


Taco Tuesday

by fleurlb



Category: Saving Grace (TV)
Genre: Banter, Gen, Tacos, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurlb/pseuds/fleurlb
Summary: The only good thing to come out of a stalled interrogation is the opportunity to order tacos.





	Taco Tuesday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bodldops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bodldops/gifts).



Grace and Ham walked into the squad room to find their hopeful teammates looking at them. Grace let the moment hang, then shook her head once while Ham slumped down into his desk chair. The excitement in the room popped like a balloon, and Grace heard Rhetta exhale a whoosh of disappointment. 

“He wouldn't talk?” asked Butch.

“Worse. He wants his lawyer. Who is in Dallas right now,” replied Ham.

“But on the plus side, Captain authorized overtime and dinner. So y'all know what that means,” said Grace.

“Tac-os! Tac-os! Tac-os!” chanted Bobby and Butch while Ham pulled out the menus.

“Nah, man. We don't need them. Terry's Taco and Enchilada Emporium is all we need. And I know my order already,” said Butch.

Grace held up a piece of paper. “3 original corn shells, extra guac, no lettuce. I got you already.”

“Who doesn't have lettuce on their tacos? That's like leaving the bacon off a bacon cheeseburger,” complained Ham.

“That's where you're wrong. It's like leaving the plastic grass out of an Easter basket. There's no nutritional value in either and they're both completely uneeded extras,” said Butch. He put his feet up on the desk, stretched out and tossed his football up into the air.

“I'll take two chicken soft tacos and an order of squigglers,” said Rhetta. 

Ham and Bobby gave their orders, then Grace called it all in to Terry's. 

“Do you reckon Terry's makes the best tacos in the whole world?” mused Butch. 

Ham, who was walking past, grabbed the football out of the air and flipped it to Bobby. “If they don't, they're close.”

“I still remember the best taco I ever had. It was in this nothing little diner near Pueblo. I want up there with my dad to visit an old army buddy of his. I must've been maybe 12 or 13. We sat at the counter and there was this old-timer a few stools down. He passed us this pico de gallo sauce and insisted we use it. I don't know what was in it, but it made the tacos taste heavenly.”

“Heavenly,” repeated Butch with a skeptical smile.

Bobby held his arms out. “No other way to describe it.”

“The only heavenly tacos are the breakfast tacos in Austin. There was this truck that used to show up on the edge of campus. This guy ran it – seems like I should know his name and his face, but honestly, I must've only had eyes for those tacos. They were amazing.”

“Austin breakfast tacos are fine, if you're a traitor. Everyone else is going to agree that Terry's wins, hands down,” said Grace, jostling Butch's shoulder as she walked past to sit on the edge of Ham's desk. 

“What was that place we went? In Norman?” asked Ham. He leaned in toward Grace and ran a discreet finger along the edge of her thigh.

“I've never been to Norman with you. You must have me confused with someone else.”

“Busted!” said Rhetta with a laugh. “Anyway, you couldn't have had the best tacos with Grace. We had the best taco that time at that little roadway shack on the way home from summer camp when we were 12.”

“You also must have me confused with someone else,” said Grace with a slow smile that let Rhetta know she was joking.

“Although,” said Rhetta. “I seem to remember having a really amazing black bean taco the last time I went to visit my mom.”

“But you hate black beans!” said Grace. 

“I know. The waiter insisted that I'd like it. That I should give it a try. Expand my 'culinary horizons.' You know, I wonder now what was in those beans because I can't remember that guy at all. Only that he had a kind smile.”

“So what was so good about the place in Norman? And why haven't you ever taken me there?” Grace asked Ham, a nagging suspicion about these taco stories starting to form in her mind. 

“I can't for the life of me remember which place it was in Norman. I was maybe a bit drunk. And the weird thing is that I have this awesome t-shirt, but it doesn't have the name of the restaurant on it.” Ham started to unbutton his shirt while Butch let out a low whistle and Bobby hummed a burlesque theme.

Ham pulled back the sides of his button-down shirt to reveal a cartoon cat sitting next to a pile of tacos. The words “Failing the taco challenge would be guacward.”

“So, let me get this straight, this place gave you a t-shirt for losing the taco challenge?” asked Butch.

Ham rubbed his face and his cheeks reddened. “I dunno. Like I said, I might've been a little drunk.”

“And by a little, you mean shitfaced,” teased Grace while the others laughed.

Grace's desk phone rang and she put it on speaker.

“Grace, I got a delivery guy here for you.”

“Well then send him up. And keep your hands off Rhetta's squigglers. The last delivery was very light in the squigglers department.”

A few minutes later, the door swung open and the delivery guy walked in, so laden with a box stuffed with bags of tacos that his face was obscured. When he put the box down, Grace immediately recognized the mane of grey hair and the sad, knowing eyes.

“You're a little out of your normal delivery zone, aren't you?” she asked. 

“I go wherever I'm needed,” said Earl.

“You're definitely needed here, buddy,” said Butch, pawing through the bags. “Holy cow, it sure smells like there's a breakfast taco in here.”

“Special deal that we're trialing right now. Y'all put in such a big order, we figured you'd be able to make use of them.”

“You've made my week. Maybe even my year.”

“Extra pico de gallo sauce. It's like you know me,” said Bobby.

“A double order of squigglers! You're an angel,” exclaimed Rhetta.

“Careful there, Rhetta, you don't want to be swooning. I'll have to get your fainting chair in a minute,” teased Grace.

“There's something special in there for you too, Grace,” said Earl.

“No doubt,” replied Grace, her smile equal parts challenging and warm. 

“Wait! How do you know her name? You've never been here before,” said Rhetta, looking at Earl with wide, suspicious eyes.

Earl held up a long receipt that said “Grace” and “OKC Detective Squad” at the top. 

“Oh, my mistake,” said Rhetta with a blush.

“Happy Taco Tuesday, y'all. Hope you enjoy it,” said Earl as he left. Grace shook his head and watched him go, then enjoyed a moment of her team enjoying the best tacos in the world.


End file.
